Dust mitt cleaning attachment for a vacuum cleaner and the like



June 23, 1970 R. J. CLARKE 3,516,109

DUST IIITT CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR A VACUUM CLEANER AND THE LIKE FiledSept. 27, 19s? VACUUM clan/v5? 1 N VEN'TOR. 5527 J. CZAIQKE L J BY\:m ZATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,516,109 DUST MITT CLEANING ATTACHMENTFOR A VACUUM CLEANER AND THE LIKE Robert J. Clarke, 434 S. Hart St.,Palatine, 11]. 60067 Filed Sept. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 670,891 Int. Cl.B08b 11/02 U.S. Cl. 15-310 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vacuumcleaning device for a dusting mitt including a housing having a firstaperture connectable to a vacuum cleaner, a second aperture adapted tosuspend the dusting mitt actuation of the vacuum cleaner causing drawingoff of dust and dirt from the mitt.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to a cleaning attachmentfor vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaning devicefor a dusting mitt.

PRIOR ART It is known to use a dusting mitt for dusting and lightcleaning in an interior or exterior environment. Similarly, it is knownto use a vacuum cleaner to draw dust particles and dirt from surfacesgenerally by vacuum cleaner attachments for rugs, floors, Venetianblinds and the like.

The prior art has taught the cleaning of dusting and dirt collectingdevices by means of shaking and brushing. This method of cleaning isdeficient in that it is time consuming, dirty, and fails to completelyclean the device.

SUMMARY In accordance with the present invention, I have provided avacuum cleaning device for a dusting mitt with a ring in the wrist ofthe mitt adapted to suspend the mitt in the cleaning device.

In addition, a novel mitt is provided which has an insertable Wristring. The insertable ring mitt overcomes the problem of an awkward andweighty wrist attachment while the mitt is being used for dusting.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide avacuum cleaning device for a dusting mitt which adapts a conventionalvacuum cleaner for cleaning the mitt.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaningdevice for a dusting mitt which is clean, thorough, etficient, andreliable.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a vacuum cleaningdevice for a dusting mitt which is rugged, easily manufactured and ofminimal cost.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet ofdrawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating theprinciples of the present invention is shown by way of illustrativeexample.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional and diagrammaticview of the vacuum cleaning device and a cleaning mitt according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cleaning device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a cleaning mitt with an integral ring;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a cleaning mitt with a detachable ring; and

3,516,109 Patented June 23, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTThe principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodiedin a vacuum type cleaning device as illustrated in FIG. 1, generallyindicated by the numeral 10. The vacuum cleaning device 10 suspends adusting mitt 11 for cleaning by a household type vacuum cleaner 12. Thedevice 10 has cylindrical side walls 13, a cover 14 having a centraloval aperture 15 and a flange 16 overlying the side walls 12.

The cylindrical side walls 13 are joined at the opposite end from thecover 14 by a cylindrical end member 18 having a circular aperture 20therein. The end member 18 is joined to the cylindrical side walls 13 byan overlying flange 22. The end member 18 has a suction pipe 24 joinedthereto by a joining flange 26 overlying a portion of the member 18 andattached thereto by rivets 28 or the like. The suction pipe 24 isconnected to the vacuum cleaner 12 by a flexible hose 30.

The mitt 11 is a cotton dust collecting fabric or other appropriate dustcollecting material. The mitt 11 has a central body 32 adapted toconform to the shape of a hand. At the end of the mitt is a wristportion 34 having a channel 35 formed therein adapted to receive a ring36.

The ring 36 may be permanently sewn by stitches 38 in the end 34 of themitt 11. In place of stitches 38, alternative means such as staples,glue or the like may be used to form the channel 35 depending on thenature of the mitt material.

An alternative mitt construction has the wrist portion 34' having anopening 40 therein. The opening 40 is adapted to receive an attachmentring member 42. The ring member 42 is fitted in the wrist portion 34' ina circular channel 44 which is adapted to form a ring suitable forattachment to the cleaning device 10 through the aperture 15 in thecover 14.

In operation, the mitt is used separately from the cleaning device 10.The mitt 11 is placed over the users hand and used in dusting in ahousehold environment. When the mitt has become used, covered with dustand cleaning is desired, the mitt with the integral ring 36 is merelyinserted in the aperture 15 and thereby suspended in the cleaning device10. The vacuum cleaner 12 is started and the suction therefrom takes thedust particles from the body 32 of the mitt 11 through the flexible hose30. After a suitable period of vacuum operation, the vacuum cleaner isstopped and the mitt may be removed and dusting continued.Alternatively, the mitt may be left in the cleaning device 10 untilfurther use is desired. The cleaning deivce 10 may also be used as astorage member for the mitt 11.

It is also contemplated that the mitt 11 when stored in the vacuumcleaning device 10 will not require a separate opeartion of a vacuumsource (not shown). Insertion of the mitt 11 in the cleaning device 10would be at the convenience of the housewife or user. Operation of thevacuum source would vacuum clean the mitt 11. In this embodiment thesuction pipe 24 would be specially joined to a coupling (not shown)attached to the vacuum source which may have plural vacuum outlets.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the ring member 42 is insertedin the channel 44 in the wrist portion 34' at the end of a dustingoperation. The mitt 11 may then be placed in the cleaning device 10 withthe rng member 42 suspending the mitt 11 through the aperture 15.Similarly, a pair of rings may be provided to form a ring attachmentmeans.

The ring may be made of metal, rubber, plastic or similar material whichis capable of suspending the mitt 11 and is not subject to permanentdeformation which would render the ring 36 unserviceable.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in theart, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope ofthe patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably andproperly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. .In combination a dusting utensil and a cleaning and storingapparatus therefor, said dusting utensil comprising a body portionhaving a closed end and an open end, said open end being adapted toreceive a hand therein, said open end having a relatively rigid ringconnected thereabout, said ring having a circular peripheralconfiguration, said cleaning and storing apparatus comprising a housingmeans closed except for a first opening and a second opening, said firsthousing opening having an oval peripheral configuration receiving saidclosed end of said dust mitt therethrough, said oval peripheral openinghaving a small diameter and a large diameter, said small diameter beingsmaller than said circular ring diameter so that said ring overliesportions of said housing opening and is supported thereon whereby saiddusting utensil hangs through said first opening into said housing, saidsecond opening being connected to a suction source, said houing being ofa length greater than the length of said dusting utensil and a vacuumsource connected to said second opening.

2. A dusting and a cleaning and storing apparatus therefor according toclaim 1 wherein said dusting utensil is of an air porous material andhas an outer surface adapted to hold dust particles and an inner surfaceadatped to loosely surround the hand of a user, said ring being outsidethe periphery of said open end, said dusting utensil being suspended bysaid ring into said housing with the outer surface of said dustingutensil being exposed to the. interior of said housing whereby when saidvacuum is applied the dust particles on said outer surface will beremoved by air rushing thorugh said mitt from the inner surface to theouter surface.

.3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said dusting utensil hasa closed channel formed about said open end, said channel receiving saidring therein.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said channel has anopening therein and said ring has a break therein to allow it to beinserted in said opening so that said ring may be readily inserted andremoved from said channel.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said housing is verticallydisposed with said first opening at an uppermost end, said dustingutensil hanging freely through said upper opening and away from thesides of said housing for cleaning and storage.-

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,449 10/ 1941 Goldwyn 15-3042,437,340 3/1948 Zugehoer 15-310 1,219,756 3/ 1917 Meridith-J ones.2,159,176 5/1939 Nelson 15-142 X FOREIGN PATENTS 238,833 12/ 1945Switzerland.

8,570 4/1912 Great Britain. 251,415 5/ 1926 Great Britain.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. XJR.

